Ore separator



E. R. BROWN.

ORE SEPARATOR.

APPLICMHON FILED mAH. 24. 192'1.

Patent-ed July M, 1922 l lie EARL R. BROWN, OF REDLANDS, CALIFORNIA.

Application led March 24, 1921.

T 0 all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, EARL R. BROWN, a citizen of the United States7 residing at Redlands, in the county of San Bernardino and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Ore Separatore, of whichithe following is a specification.

It is the object of this invention to pro- `vide an ore separator adapted for use in placery mining.

The apparatus consists essentially of a fluid receptacle having an ore receptacle mounted therein and open to the fluid receptacle at the center of its base. Agitating means are arranged within the ore receptacle, and the ore is supplied to said receptacle at the periphery of its base so that the whirling motion of the fluid within the ore receptacle will suck the tailings across the riffle provided upon the base of the ore receptacle so as to discharge said tailings into the fluid receptacle while retaining the precious metals separated from the tailings upon the riffle board.

The invention will be readily understood from theV following description of the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus, constructed in accordance with the invention, partly broken away.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

3 is a plan view of the apparatus.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section on the 4-4 of Fig. 2.

The outer receptacle of the apparatus is shown as a bucket 1 forming the fluid receptacle and having an annular rim 2 upon its inner surface approximately midway of the height of said receptacle. An annulus 3 is removably received upon this rib and supports a screen 4 depending within receptacle 1 and arranged to collect the tailings from the ore separation. An inner receptacle 5 forming the ore receptacle is removably received within receptacle 1 and is supported upon annulus 3 resting upon rib 2. The walls of receptacle 1 preferably flare upwardly, while the wall of receptacle 5 is substantially cylindrical in order that a space 6 will be provided between receptacles 1 and 5.

AThe base of receptacle 5 is open at its center to the outer receptacle, as shown at 8, and the base of the ore receptacle forms a line Specification of Letters Patent.

ORE SEPARATOR.

Patented July 11, 1222.

Serial No. 455,004.

riflle board. For this purpose a suitable base 9, preferably of wood, is received upon the base of the ore receptacle, and a suitable fabric material, or the like, such as shown at 10, is fixed upon this wooden base. The riffle received upon the surface 10 preferably comprises a spiral rib 12 forming a spiral passageway extending from the periphery of the base of the ore receptacle to the axial opening 8 therein.

At the periphery of axial opening 8 an upward extension is provided upon the base of the ore receptacle and shown at 8a, said extension being preferably conically disposed and adapted to form a trap for the material flowing through the spiral passageway in order to prevent the discharge of any precious metals through opening 8. ln order to further provide for the trapping of all of the metals recovered from the ore, the inner end of the spiral rib is preferably extended as shown at 12a so as to connect with the next outer convolution of the rib and thereby form a stop extending across the spiral passageway.

The ore to be separated is supplied to the ore receptacle at the periphery of its base, and for this purpose an opening 14 is provided in the side wall of receptacle 5 at its base. vThis opening communicates with the interior of the ore receptacle adjacent the outer end of the spiral passageway provided by riffle 12, and a baffle plate 15 depending from the wall of the ore receptacle preferably overlies the spiral passageway at opening 14 so as to direct the ore Yentering the ore receptacle downwardly against the base of the latter. A chute 16 extends upwardly from opening 14 in the space between the outer receptacle and the ore receptacle, said chute being preferably formed as an ex-y tension from the wall of receptacle 5.

The liquid level within the apparatus is preferably maintained an appreciable distance above the base of the inner receptacle so that a part of said liquid will be within the inner ore receptacle, and means are provided for causing a whirling motion of the liquid within the ore receptacle so as to create a whirling pool adapted to suck the ore entering through opening 14 radially across the base of the ore receptacle and thence outwardly through the opening 8.

The means provided for creating this whirling motion of the liquid includes a bar 20'eXtending across the top of receptacle l and pivoted thereto at one side as shown at 2l and provided at its swinging edge with a suitable locking means 22. A bearing bracket 23 depends from bar 2O within the receptacle l, and a sha-ft 24 is journaled in this bearing bracket and in the bar 20. The lower end of theI shaft is threaded and is adapted to receive a transverse paddle bar 25 which is fixed to the shaft in adjusted positions lengthwise thereof by nuts 26 threaded onto` the shaft above 'and below the paddle bar. The upper end of the' shaft which extends above transverse bar 2O has a pinion 27 fixed thereon, and this pinion meshes withl a gear 28 journaled upon the transverse bar 20 and provided with a suitable handle 29 for rotating the same.l

ln operation, water having been supplied to the apparatus so as to stand at any desired heigat within ore receptacle 5, the ore to be separated is supplied through chute 16, and the paddle bar 25 is rotated by turnling handle 29. As a consequence a whirlpool is created within the ore receptacle, and the ore entering the same will be discharged through opening Sto the screen 4, while the precious metals separated from the tailings will collect in the passageway provided by the spiral rilile.

lhen desired the transverse bar 20 may be swung back so as to remove the agitating mechanism from the apparatus, and by then -removing the ore receptacle, the screen 1l, in

which the tailings are collected, may be removed and dumped so that the apparatus is again ready for use without necessitating refilling of the same with water.

Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed:

`What is claimed is:

ljAri ore separator comprising al fluid receptacle, an ore receptacle mounted therein and having an opening in its base to said fluid receptacle, means for creating a whirling motion of the fluid within said ore receptacle, means for supplying ore to the periphery of the base of said ore receptacle, and a spiral riliie upon rthe base ofsaid ore receptacle forming a spiral passageway for said ore leading to said opening in the ore receptacle. A Y s Y 2. An ore separator comprising a iiuid receptacle', an ore receptacle mounted therein and having an opening in its base to 'said fluid receptacle, means for creating a whirling motion of the fluid within saidv ore receptacle, meansfor supplying kore to the periphery of the base of said ore receptacle, a spiral riffle upon the base of said ore receptacle forming. a yspiral passageway for said ore leading to said opening in the ore receptacle, and trapping means at the end of said passageway adjacent said opening.k

3. An ore separator comprising a fluid' receptacle, an ore receptacle mounted therein and having an opening in its base to said fluid receptacle, meansfor creating a whirling motion ofthe fluid within said ore receptacle, means for supplying ore to the periphery of the base of said ore receptacle7 a spiral riflie upon the base of said ore receptacle forming a spiral passageway for said ore leadingto said opening in the ore receptacle, and a baille for directing the ore entering the ore receptacle against the base of the same.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

EAR-L R. BROVN. 

